Qatar International Motor Show begins on February 6

(From left) Al-Malki from q.media, al-Abdan from QTA, Salvadó from Fira Barcelona and Proctor from Commercial Bank at the press conference for the fifth edition of the Qatar International Motor Show.

By Joey Aguilar Staff Reporter

The fifth edition of the Qatar International Motor Show 2015 is expected to attract a large number of guests and visitors from February 6 to 10 at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC). The event is being organised by the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) in partnership with q.Media and leading Spanish trade and industrial show organiser Fira Barcelona. It is being sponsored by Commercial Bank. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Hamad al-Abdan, director of exhibitions at QTA, said that they have assigned a bigger area at QNCC to accommodate the increasing number of exhibitors and visitors. “The show is becoming more popular every year on the local, regional and international scale,” he said in his speech. “It continues to refine its offer and presentation just like the leading automobile brands that will showcase their latest models and technology.” Last year, the event featured more than 40 brands including motorbikes, a 20% increase compared with the number of exhibitors in 2013. Al-Abdan noted that the fifth edition will showcase the most creative car designs and the latest technology used in automotive industry. Citing the success of the past four editions, he expressed confidence that the upcoming show in February will introduce“a new level entertainment and thrills". Ibrahim Abdullah al-Malki, chief entreprise officer at q.media, echoed the statement of al-Abdan saying the 5th edition of any annual event is a landmark because it proves the popularity and sustainability of the show. “Today, Qatar hosts a number of international level motor sports events and most key global automotive brands are present here with the latest in technology and style,” he added. Al-Malki also announced that the Qatar International Motor Show 2015’s official website is now active and urged people to visit the site. Al-Abdan and al-Malki were joined by Aleix Salvadó, Qatar business manager at Fira Barcelona; and Dean Proctor, Commercial Bank EGM, retail and consumer banking at the press conference. “For Fira Barcelona, being part of Qatar Motor Show is indeed very special, for it has given us not only the opportunity to work in a dynamic nation like Qatar but also discover the passion people in this region have for automobiles,” said Salvadó, who also expressed confidence that this year’s edition will be the “most memorable by far.” Last year, Alfardan Automobiles unveiled the BMW i8, the first BMW plug in hybrid electric vehicle described as the “sports car of the future". The i8 is powered by the latest generation BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol engine. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds. It uses 2.5 litres of petrol per 100kms producing just 59g/km of emissions. United Cars Almana’s famous SRT Viper GTS sports car also attracted a large number of visitors at the first day of the 2014 show. It is a lighter version of its predecessor due to the added use of aluminum. Its 8.4-litre V-10 engine can easily churn out 640-hp and 600 lb-ft of torque.